Matter and Its Interactions

  1. Chemistry

    Behold the world’s thinnest pasta

    Made from white flour and formic acid, the nanofibers average just 370 nanometers across. That’s two-hundredths the thickness of a human hair.

    By Skyler Ware
  2. Chemistry

    Experiment: How to keep fruit slices fresh

    Let’s explore why fruit tends to brown over time and how to keep it looking fresh.

    By Science Buddies
  3. Archaeology

    Let’s learn about radiocarbon dating

    Through the power of radioactivity, carbon dating can reveal the age of many fossils and artifacts.

    By Maria Temming
  4. Chemistry

    Teen chemist uncovers potentially harmful preservatives in pet food

    Thermo Fisher JIC finalist Mackensey Wilson measured levels of a chemical called BHT in three pet food brands.

    By Maria Temming
  5. Physics

    Weirdly, mayo can help study conditions ripe for nuclear fusion 

    Yes, mayo. The texture of the sandwich spread is perfect for mimicking what a fusion fuel capsule goes through when blasted with lasers.

    By Emily Conover
  6. Tech

    Bioelectronics research wins top award at 2024 Regeneron ISEF

    Three grand-award winners each took home at least $50,000. Hundreds more teens shared more than $9 million in prizes at the international competition.

    By McKenzie Prillaman
  7. Environment

    To limit pollution, new recipe makes plastic a treat for microbes

    Microplastics made from fossil fuels take centuries to disappear. But the plant- and algae-based plastic can break down in weeks to months.

    By Skyler Ware
  8. Tech

    Lego bricks inspired a new way to shape devices for studying liquids

    Inspired by Lego building blocks, the approach could enable design of adaptable tools to study how fluids move through very small spaces.

    By Stephen Ornes
  9. Physics

    Experiment: Make your own cents-able battery

    Make your own ‘voltaic pile’ with pennies and nickels, and find out how many coins will make the most electricity!

    By Science Buddies
  10. Materials Science

    Scientists Say: Semiconductor

    Modern electronics, from cell phones to video games, work thanks to these conductor-insulator hybrids.

    By Katie Grace Carpenter
  11. Chemistry

    Turning jeans blue with sunlight might help the environment

    When dipped in indican and exposed to sunlight, yarn turns a deep blue. This process is more eco-friendly than the current denim dyeing method.

    By Helen Bradshaw
  12. Physics

    Forests could help detect ‘ghost particles’ from space

    If trees could act as natural antennas, one physicist proposes that they just might pick up signals of hard-to-spot ultra-high energy neutrinos.

    By Emily Conover